Plant-setting machine.



S. L. BRYANT.

PLANT SETTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1914.

1,154,173. Patentedsept. 21, 1915.

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COLUMBIA ILANOGRAI'H co.,wAsuxN aaaaaaa c.

S. L. BRYANT.

PLANT SETTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0e15, 1914.

1 1 54., 1 73 Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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SOLOMON L. BRYANT, OF 'MOUNT AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA.

PLANT-SETTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed October 5, 1914. Serial No. 865,102.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SOLOMON L. BRYANT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Mount Airy, in the county ofSurry, State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Plant-Setting Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to planting devices, particularly to a machinefor replanting in rows plants thinned out from rows or grown in startingbeds and has for its object the'provision of a simple and novel devicewhereby plants may be automatically deposited and pressed into theground at regular intervals, water being automatically sup plied to eachplant as it reaches the ground.

An important object is the provision of a device of this characterprovided with novel means for holding the plants before the device isactuated to drop them upon the ground.

A further object is the provision of a planter of this characterprovided with novel and particular means for imparting a step by stepmovement to the plant holding reel and for actuating the individualplant retaining devices to release the plants so that they may bedepositedthrough suitable guide means onto the ground.

An additional object is the provision of a planter of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy in operation,efficient and durable in service and a general improvement of the art.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of theplanter, Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side, Fig. 3 is a topplan View, omitting the reel, Fig. 4 is a front elevation, Fig. 5 is avertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is afragmentary-side elevation of the reel showing plants held thereon, andFig. 8 is afragmentary plan View of the reel.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing, the numeral 10 designatesthe main bars constituting the supporting frame of the.

row opener 15 which is supported by braces 1 16. Disposed rearwardly ofand in alinernent with the disk 15 is a presser wheel 17 g ournaled uponarms 18 connected with the rame.

Disposed'upon the frame above the disk 15 is a tank 19 adapted tocontain water and provided adjacent the rear edge of its bottom portionwith an outlet opening having a valve 20 disposed therein and securedupon a rod 21 extending upwardly through and beyond the top of the tank19. The valve 20 is normally held in a position closing the hole by acoil spring 22 which encircles the rod 21, and is disposed between a pin23' arranged transversely of the latter, and a projection 23 extendingfrom the rear wall of the tank slidably receiving the'rod. At its upperend, the rod 21 is pivotally connected with a lever 24; pivotedintermediate its ends upon a support 25 secured to the rear wall of atank. iVhen the rear end of the lever 24 is moved downwardly, the valve20 will be opened and water will flow out through the opening. Thepurpose of this will be made apparent hereinafter. I

Secured'upon the rear side of the tank 19 at its central portion isachute 26 terminate ing at its lower end a short distance above theground. The lower portion of the chute is wider than the upper portionso as to be disposed sufficiently far forwardly of the rear edge of thebottom of the tank that water passing out through the bottom of the tankwill be discharged into the chute.

The means for holding the plants to be planted comprise a-circular drum27 journaled as shown through boxings 28 secured upon the upper end ofbrace rods 29 secured upon the main frame. The individual plant holdingmembers are carried by the drum 27 and comprise lengths of wire woundinto spiral form as shown at 30 and having arms .31 and 32 extendingfromthe ends ofthe coil, Each arm 31 is provided upon its end with alateral portion 33 forming a hook pressing a plant disposed thereinagainst the side of the drum. The natural resili ery thereof so thatmovement of the arms- 32 against the periphery of the drum will move thearms 31 outwardly and disengage the plants held by the hooked ends 33'.The mechanism for operating these various parts comprises a sprocket 3 Lsecured upon the shaft carrying the ground Wheels, and having a chain 35trained thereover and over a sprocket 36 secured upon a shaft 37journaled upon the rear brace rods 29. As the device is'drawnlover theground, the shaft 37 will consequently be rotated. The shaft 37 carriesa laterally extending finger 38 adapted to successively engage aplurality of tappets 35;) extending from the periphery of the drum 27.During every rotation of the shaft 37, the drum 27 will be moved onestep which will .be the ,dis-

tance between two successive tappets. The number of tappets correspondswith the number of plant holding clamps so that every step in themovement of the drum 27 will bring a plant in position above the top ofthe chute 26. As each plant reaches this position, the clamp holding itis released by virtue of the engagement of a laterally extendingfing'er40 i pon the end of the Shaft 37 with the arm 32 of the clamp. This Willrelease the hooked end 33 of the from the plant, consequently allowingthe plantto drop into and through the chute 26 onto the ground. At thesame time, the lever 24 will be engaged by a crank or laterallyextending finger 41 adjacent the other end of" the shaft 37, whereuponthe rod 21 will be moved. downwardly carrying the valve 20 off its seatand allowing'water to flow through the hole in the tank into'the chute,The plants upon dropping will fall into the furrow made by the disk 15,after which they will be pressed into place by the follower or presserwheel 17. It Will be observed that this operation will be repeated ateach revolution of the shaft 37. It will be obvious that thedistancebetween the successive plants planted is dependent upon therelative sizes of the sprockets 34 and 36 From the foregoing descriptionand a sti flv 9 he drawing t w ll e pn re t that I have thus provided asimple, novel and efficient device whereby plants "may be properlyplanted with rapidity and ease at r u a sna d' nte va a i mel a s waea vIt will be readily understood that I-reserve the right to make variouschanges in the form, constructlon and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of adjacent said chute and driven by said 1ground Wheels, a rotary drum, plant holding clamps on said drum,.andmeansactuated by the rotation of said shaft for releasing Q said clampssuccessively and simultaneously opening said valve, said plants and thewatr passing through said chute, onto the ground; '7

'2. 'A device of the character described comprising a frame havingground wheels journaled thereon, a revoluble drum, a plurality of clampson said drum adapted to retain plants, a rotaryshaft driven by, saidground wheels, means carried by said shaft for 'rotating said drum stepbystep', anda laterally extending finger on said shaft engaging saidclamps successively for releasing the plants. V

'3. A device of the character described comprising a frame supportedupon ground wheels, a furrow opener anda presserwheel carriedby saidframe, a tank supported on said frame and provided itshottom with anopening, chute disposed adjacent said tank and having said openingdischarging thereinto, vertically movable rod in said tank and providedwith a valve seating within said opening. a pivoted lever connected withsaid rod, a'revoluble shaft driven by 7 aro d whe fi serogn aid s af aing said lever dur ng every revolution for opening sa d valve, arotarydrum above said chute, means on said drum for carry- Qopies ofthis patent may he o ntaii e11 for live cents each, by addressing theCommissioner pf Patents,

Y V Washington, 1).0.

